A Pennant for the Twin Cities: The 1965 Minnesota Twins (Sabr Digital Library)

This volume celebrates the 1965 Minnesota Twins, who captured the American League pennant in just their fifth season in the Twin Cities. Led by an All-Star cast, from Harmon Killebrew, Tony Oliva, Zoilo Versalles, and Mudcat Grant to Bob Allison, Jim Kaat, Earl Battey, and Jim Perry, the Twins won 102 games, but bowed to the Los Angeles Dodgers and a herculean performance by Sandy Koufax in Game Seven of the World Series. Included are the life and baseball stories of all 35 roster players, the coaches, and manager of the 1965 Twins, plus team owner Calvin Griffith; broadcasters Herb Carneal, Halsey Hall, and Ray Scott; and sportswriters Dick Gordon and Max Nichols. A comprehensive summary of the regular season, as well as meticulous essays highlighting important games and the All-Star Game played in Minnesota, an overview of the 1965 Dodgers, and thorough summaries the World Series games are included. Chapters about how the Griffith family built its pennant winner, the fate of the Twins after 1965, Metropolitan Stadium, and the 1965 season “by the numbers” round out the book. Members of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) researched and wrote all of the biographies and essays in this book. Contents: Calvin Griffith by Kevin Hennessy The Last of the Family Owners: The Griffiths Build Their Lone Minnesota Pennant Winner by Daniel R. Levitt and Mark L. Armour Metropolitan Stadium by Stew Thornley Spring Training by Stew Thornley The 1965 Minnesota Twins Regular Season Summary by Ben Klein Bernie Allen by Chip Greene Bob Allison by Gregory H. Wolf Earl Battey by Jack Herrman Dave Boswell by Gregory H. Wolf April 12, 1965: Twins Win in Extra Innings on Opening Day by Steve West Pete Cimino by Jeff English Jerry Fosnow by Greg Erion Mudcat Grant by Joseph Wancho May 12, 1965: Killebrew Belts Two Homers, Including Game-Winner In Eighth Inning by Gregory H. Wolf Jimmie Hall by Norm King Jim Kaat by Patrick Lethert Harmon Killebrew by Joseph Wancho May 26, 1965: Jim Perry Makes Most of His Opportunity by Joel Rippel Jerry Kindall by Tom Tomashek Johnny Klippstein by Gregory H. Wolf Andy Kosco by Norm King July 11, 1965: The Killer Clouts Walk-Off Two-Run Round-Tripper by Gregory H. Wolf Frank Kostro by J.G. Preston Jim Merritt by Gregory H. Wolf Don Mincher by Marc Z. Aaron Mel Nelson by Doug Skipper Minnesota and 1965 All-Star Game: The Senior Circuit Takes Charge by Greg Erion Joe Nossek by Rick Schabowski Tony Oliva by Peter C. Bjarkman Camilo Pascual by Peter C. Bjarkman Jim Perry by Joseph Wancho Bill Pleis by Joel Rippel September 8 and 9, 1965: The Chicago Showdown: The Twins Take Two at Comiskey Park by Steve Schmitt Frank Quilici by Norm King Rich Reese by Chip Greene Garry Roggenburk by Mark Armour Rich Rollins by Rick Schabowski John Sevcik by John Swol September 25, 1965: “Clinching a Tie is to Beer What Winning the Championship is to Champagne” by Alan Cohen Dwight Siebler by Gregory H. Wolf Dick Stigman by Tom Tomashek Cesar Tovar by Rory Costello Ted Uhlaender by Joseph Wancho Sandy Valdespino by Alan Cohen Zoilo Versalles by Peter C. Bjarkman September 26, 1965: A Pennant for the Twins by Alan Cohen Al Worthington by Bill Nowlin Jerry Zimmerman by Norm King Sam Mele by Bill Nowlin Jim Lemon by Gregory H. Wolf Billy Martin by Jimmy Keenan and Frank Russo Hal Naragon by Tracy J.R. Collins Johnny Sain by Jan Finkel Herb Carneal by Stew Thornley Halsey Hall by Stew Thornley Ray Scott by Stew Thornley Dick Gordon by Steve West Max Nichols by Steve West The 1965 Los Angeles Dodgers by Greg Erion The 1965 World Series Summary by Norm King By the Numbers: Major League Baseball in 1965 by Dan Fields A Surprising Disappointment: Twins of the Late 1960s by Daniel R. Levitt